Musicians West Certificate of Achievement Aural Skills

All examples will be played 2 or 3 times.

Young Beginner
1. Identify if notes are going up, down, or repeating
2. Identify if melody is going from soft to loud or loud to soft
3. Differentiate between two tapped measures

Preparatory Level
1. Differentiate between a major and a minor 5 finger pattern
2. Differentiate between two tapped measures
3. Dictate a 3-note melody made only of seconds and quarter notes
4. Label a melody as legato or staccato

Level 1
1. Differentiate between major and minor chords – blocked and broken
2. Differentiate between major and minor 5 finger patterns
3. Dictate 2nds and 5ths correctly on the staff (ascending)
4. Dictate a 2 measure rhythm made of quarter notes and half notes (3/4 or 4/4)
5. Dictate a 4 note melody made only of seconds and quarter notes

Level 2
1. Differentiate between major and minor chords – blocked in root position
2. Dictate 2nds, 5ths and octaves correctly on the staff (ascending)
3. Dictate a 2 measure rhythm made of quarter notes, half notes and eighth notes (3/4 or 4/4)
4. Dictate a 4 note melody made of seconds, quarter notes and half notes
5. Identify a four measure melody

Level 3
1. Differentiate between major and minor chords – blocked in root position
2. Differentiate between a major and a minor melody (4 measures long)
3. Dictate a 2 measure rhythm made of quarter notes, quarter rests, eighth notes and half notes.
(¾ or 4/4)
4. Label the time signature of a melody as 2/4 or 3/4
5. Dictate M2nds, P4ths, P 5ths and P octaves on the staff (ascending)
6. Dictate a 5 note melody made of seconds and fifths, quarter notes and half notes

Level 4
1. Differentiate between major and minor chords – blocked in root position
2. Differentiate between a major and a minor melody (4 measures long)
3. Label the time signature of a melody as 2/4 or 3/4
4. Dictate a 2 measure rhythm made of quarter notes, quarter rests, eighth notes and half notes
in 4/4 or 6/8.
5. Dictate M2nds M3, P4ths, P 5ths, M6 and P octaves on the staff (ascending)
6. Dictate a 5 note melody made of 2nds, 5ths, octaves and quarter notes and half notes

Level 5
1. Differentiate between major and minor chords – blocked in root position
2. Differentiate between a Major and a harmonic minor scale
 3. Dictate all major and perfect intervals (ascending)
4. Dictate a 2 measure rhythm made of quarter notes, quarter rests, eighth notes, half notes and
sixteenth notes. 4/4 and 6/8
5. Label the time signature of an excerpt as 3/4 or 4/4.
6. Dictate a 6 note melody made of M2, M3, P5 and P octaves and uses quarter and half notes.
7. Differentiate between a chord progression ending in a half cadence and an authentic cadence.

Level 6
1. Differentiate between major, minor and diminished chords (blocked, in root position)
2. Differentiate between a Major and a harmonic minor scale.
3. Dictate all major and perfect intervals (ascending AND Descending)
4. Dictate a 2 measure rhythm made of quarter notes, quarter rests, eighth notes, half notes and
sixteenth notes.
5. Label the time signature of an excerpt as 3/4 or 4/4.
6. Dictate a 6 note melody made of M2, M3, P5 M6 and P octaves and uses quarter and half
notes.
7. Differentiate between a chord progression ending in a half, deceptive and authentic cadence.

Level 7
1. Differentiate between major, minor, augmented and diminished chords (blocked, in root
position)
2. Differentiate between a Major, natural and a harmonic minor scale.
3. Dictate all major and perfect intervals (ascending AND Descending) as well as m2nds and
tritones.
4. Dictate a 2 measure rhythm made of quarter notes, quarter rests, eighth notes, half notes and
sixteenth notes. 4/4 or 6/8
5. Label the time signature of an excerpt as 3/4 or 4/4.
6. Dictate a 6 note melody made of M2, M3, P4, P5 M6 and P octaves and uses quarter and half
notes.
7. Differentiate between a chord progression ending in a half, plagal, deceptive and authentic
cadence.

Level 8
1. Differentiate between major, minor, augmented and diminished chords (blocked, in root or
first inversion)
2. Differentiate between a Dominant seventh and a fully diminished seventh chord
3. Differentiate between a Major, natural and a harmonic minor scale.
4. Dictate all major and perfect intervals (ascending AND descending) as well as m2nds, m3rds,
m6ths, and tritones.
5. Dictate a 4 measure rhythm made of quarter notes, quarter rests, eighth notes, half notes and
sixteenth notes. 4/4, 3/4 or 6/8
6. Label the time signature of an excerpt as 6/8 or 4/4
7. Dictate a 7 note melody made of all major and perfect intervals and uses eighth, quarter and
half notes
8. Use roman numerals to write a 5 chord progression that ends in a half, plagal, deceptive or
authentic cadence. All chords will be in root position.

Level 9
1. Differentiate between major, minor, augmented and diminished chords (blocked, in root, first
 or second inversion)
2. Differentiate between a Major, Dominant, minor, half-diminished and a fully diminished
seventh chord
3. From a given note, write the Major, natural and a harmonic minor scale that is played
4. Dictate all intervals ascending and descending up to an octave
5. Dictate a 4 measure rhythm made of quarter notes, quarter rests, eighth notes, half notes and
sixteenth notes. Student must determine time signature (chose from 3/4, 4/4 or 6/8)
6. Label the time signature of an excerpt as 6/8 or 3/4.
7. Dictate an 8 note melody made of all major and perfect intervals and uses eighth, quarter and
half notes.
8. Use roman numerals to write a 6 chord progression that ends in a half, plagal, deceptive or
authentic cadence. All chords will be in root position.

Advanced Level
1. Differentiate between major, minor, augmented and diminished chords (blocked, in root, first
or second inversion)
2. Differentiate between a Major, Dominant, minor, half-diminished and a fully diminished
seventh chord (root position only)
3. From a given note, write the Major, natural and a harmonic minor scale that is played.
4. Dictate all intervals ascending and descending
5. Dictate a 4 measure rhythm made of quarter notes, quarter rests, eighth notes, half notes and
sixteenth notes. Student must determine time signature (chose from ¾, 4/4 or 6/8)
6. Label the time signature of an excerpt. (choose from 6/8, ¾, 4/4 or 5/4)
7. Dictate a melody made of all major and perfect intervals and uses eighth, quarter and half
notes.
8. Use roman numerals to write a 7 chord progression that ends in a half, plagal, deceptive or
authentic cadence. Notate inversions using figured bass